Captain Graziani or story of courage, hatred, love and death.

Catherine Catty
VERBATIM POST

This is using the Google translator which leaves a lot to be desired.

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July 10, 2011 at 9:01 PM

This is the story I began to "unwind" a couple of weeks ago. Versed with it then until 4:00 am, although the work had to get up at 7. And a few days then went not herself, trying to bring together all the facts that were known to me. Long thought, to write about it or not. Decided to write. Because this history very well, in my opinion, reflects the situation with the war in Algeria: an explosive mixture of good and bad.

Jean Toussaint Antoine Graziani was born in Mondovi, Algeria, in 1926. How many Blackfeet, he was not a full-blooded Frenchman, his ancestors came from Corsica. His mother Jean died in childbirth, the father went to his grave when he was 9. He lived with an aunt in the city of Algiers. At age 15 he joined the Compagnons de France, Vichy youth organization, and quickly became commander of the group. When Graziani was 16, had landed in Algeria, the Americans. Jean immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army, then moved to the UK and finally - in the army of Fighting France. Paratrooper SAS. Several operations behind enemy lines. Cross of War 1939-1945. Military Medal. 19 years old in 1945, behind the back - 3 years of war. War in France, before he entered the army had never seen before.

Jean Toussaint Antoine Graziani

After finishing military school, sous-lieutenant, Jean Graziani goes to war in Indochina. He was a brave officer, so in 1948, was promoted to lieutenant (similar to first lieutenant in our army) and the Order of the Legion of Honor. Buster on this occasion lasted a week. But drinking and fascination with the fair sex (which was also characterized Graziani) among the paratroopers were considered the norm rather than aberration. Even a meeting in Saigon with her daughter banker (Jean met her friend, Paul-Alain Léger) and marrying her, even the birth of his daughter Claude in the same situation in 1948 did not change. Actually, I personally think that this marriage took place because the officer was in a situation where, as an honest man simply had to get married. Graziani had taken his wife to Algiers (as I understand it, to relatives), held the newborn in her arms and returned to the Indochina. Where he soon got himself a girlfriend, Sung-Chinese woman. There are cases where humpback correct only the grave. Here - the same version. Again, from the viewpoint of a Frenchman is nothing particularly wrong with this situation, no. Loves to face and attire - the sacred cause, if not all, "paddling", for many people.

After regrouping of forces, Graziani is composed of three battalions of colonial parachute commandos. 1950 The year was extremely unfortunate for our hero. It started with the fact that in operations at Pho Lu 135 Frenchmen found themselves face to face with two thousand Vietnamese. The commander, Captain Dubois was killed and paratroopers retreated, leaving his body on the battlefield. By tradition, the body carried off the French fallen comrades. Therefore, the head of a squadron (which, we note that the battle did not participate) in a rage attacked the officers: "When the captain is killed, you need to put all but the bear's body!" "But who will make the captain, if you all perish! - Parried Graziani.

Icon 3rd Battalion of the colonial parachute commandos

In October 3BKPS throw in That Khé. People are tired, exhausted, they fought, the lieutenant Graziani injured. On the night of October 12, Captain de Brakiyanzh with a group trying to break through to her, but failed. Paratroopers are captured. Almost immediately, the captain and lieutenants Graziani and Plan of running, but three days later they again captured the Vietminh soldiers, beaten and sent to a POW camp № 1. Jean 24. Fortunately, he could not know that he would hold this camp four long years. Tropical paradise, and so not for the Europeans. POW camp in the tropics, when not enough food, no medicine, when the prisoners on a regular basis is psychological pressure (for example, were self-criticism sessions, in which the French were supposed to talk about their real or imaginary evils and crimes.) And at all looked like hell .

It seems that Jean helped to survive a stubborn character, good health and reputation of the worst student in class. Irrepressible joker, a man of exceptional courage, he became an example of strength for his comrades. In September 1953, Jean again involved in the escape. Graziani, the Plan and on a raft down Obuen River Song Gain. Again, failure. 70 kilometers of paths covered, but officers caught and brought back to camp. A few months of solitary confinement. Finally - the long-awaited freedom. The war is over, and in September 1954, Jean is in a Hanoi hospital, where he immediately falls into the arms of Sung. There is also good news for the officer's salary all 4 years of waiting, impatiently, when it will issue the owner. In fact, all was not rosy. People continued to die in the hospital after the liberation. Because when an adult male European weighs 42 or 38 kilograms, it is, you see, crazy.

No, not Auschwitz. And do not Buchenwald. These French prisoners of war returning from the camp № 1.

But Graziani overweening. In November he went to Algiers, added a girlfriend, friend, an officer of the Foreign Legion. By the way, it ended very well, they were married.

From one war to another, Jean falls. Now blazes Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. In August 1955 Graziani got stripes captain and was assigned to the headquarters of General Konya in Morocco. But in Africa, and hot temper remained at his master. What can you do, the Corsican! One day, coming into the officers' mess, Graziani saw a man pull his hand. Jean knew this officer. Also, the prisoner camp number 1, he was released before 1954, because he was a communist and was distinguished by exemplary conduct, that is, knocked on his comrades. Without thinking, Graziani grabbed him by the collar and threw out the window. 2 weeks of arrest.

More - more. In the Communist Party of Morocco in Rab was a kind of headquarters. Without thinking, Jean blew a villa in what honestly commander, Colonel-Romain young man. Contrary to expectations, a colonel in the delight he came and ordered the captain to stop there. It was not there. The Communists have built a villa. Graziani again turned it into ashes. It seems that after the captivity he began to feel hatred for the communist movement in all its manifestations, and only stubbornness has always been characteristic of him. Here patience finally snapped the colonel. Call a friend, General Massu, he is almost Christ asked God to take away this crazy. Massu did not refuse. Algeria was scheduled cleaning of the city from terrorists and a Grab-head could easily attach to the case. It turned out to be extremely successful: Graziani went under the command of Major in the 2 Ossaresa Bureau (intelligence) 10 Parachute Division. Jean was in fact the number escapades greatly diminished. Benefit from it was much more than concern, especially if you do not entrust him with paperwork: the office management at the captain obviously was not a vocation.

At that time, Algeria wave of terrorism, but this, in comparison with which all the explosions in Moscow seem child's play. From this it was necessary to fight and this fight. I honestly say, for me, people who kill civilians (not like our shakhidki who die with themselves. No, the Algerian left bags with bombs in crowded places, while they themselves go, bitches!), Are beyond good and evil. If I could blow up the barracks of parachutists or their staffs, or villas, where he was interrogated suspects, I would have understood. But to blow up the milk bar, where not so soldiers where even men rarely looked (it was a place where moms from around the region drove children to eat ice cream) - is beyond my comprehension.

Yasef Saadi, a leader of the National Liberation Front after the arrest.

On the morning of April 8, 1957 patrol arrested one of those girls that wore a bomb in the beach bag, a student Jamil Buired. History of arrest, just as crazy and violent as the war itself in Algeria. Yasef Saadi, one of the leaders of the FLN, and Jamil, Agent Relations Committee, coordination and implementation of terrorist attacks hit the raid. Realizing that go unnoticed they will not succeed, Saadi ... issued machine gun fire in a girl. Not Zouaves, patrol, no, but her immediate commander. It seems he was afraid that if they are caught, Jamila speak. Or do want a way to distract the attention of the soldiers and escape. Man wounded sent to hospital Mayo. Later, the French were accused of that, she was tortured almost to the operating table. Prove it did not really succeed. She was treated with (doing this captain of medical service Brigalow), it guarded the three paratroopers (And in what country would not protect a terrorist?), Which every quarter of an hour came to the ward. Say thank you, that they do not spend the night there!

The interrogation began only on April 17. Here is what he told Jean Graziani military Lartegi: "This is accuse me of what I was attempting it? Poor girl! I know why she latched on to this idea of ​​torture. The truth is simple and sad: Jamila Buired started talking after a couple of slaps in the face (she called the captain and colonizer of a scoundrel and he could not resist - K-K), then went out of vanity, the desire to give themselves importance. She even posted to me what I did not ask. Jamila Buired that they want to make Jeanne d'Arc rebels issued their entire organization on the first interrogation. If we were able to cover a network of manufacturers of bombs, it is only because of it. A pair of slaps in the face and it all laid out, the heroine.
Torture, I know what it is. I was a prisoner for four years Viet Minh. "

Jean Lartegi (right).

Jamila and really laid out all at once: caches, secret, the names. Interestingly, the large role played in her life Suzanne Massu, the wife of a general. Like her husband, she was a supporter of integration, believed in what the French and the Arabs can exist peacefully and in full understanding. At her request, Graziani, whom she considered polite young man, undertook to take care of Jamila. To some extent, it was the carrot and the stick. Role playing stick a handsome young officer, a dark man with regular features. He bought a prisoner dress, took her to the officer's feast, where she acted as hostess. It is said that she fell in love with the parachutist that wrote him love letters, which he sometimes read to his comrades. I do not know how far their relationship went, and what motivated the two. Ossares swears and swears that Graziani honestly fulfill its mission and was polite, not more. I personally take great doubt that the captain was still philanderer. Moreover, "questioning on the pillow," though not often, but practiced. However, here he was clearly not what the girl had already laid out everything I knew.

Jamila Buired.

"I once told her:" Jamila, I like you, but I'll do my best to you guillotined, because I do not like people who wear a bomb that kills innocent people. "She laughed:" My Captain, I would be sentenced to death but not gilotiniruyut, because the French do not gilotiniruyut women. Since 5 years we win the war, both in terms of military and political, I will free my people and I will be a national heroine. "- Said Graziani. Everything happened as predicted Jameel, although this Jean had never learned. The court sentenced Buired to death, but to execute a lady once and really did not comme il faut, and here the action and picket lines in its defense ... In general, in the meantime, appeared in time the independence of Algeria and Jamil won freedom, having spent five in custody years. In 1965, she married her lawyer, Jacques Verger. Which, incidentally, was also a famous Nazi war criminal lawyer Klaus Barbie. Then divorced him. She lived in Algeria, has worked in the journal "African revolution.."

In July 1958, Graziani company received 4 to 6 colonial regiment of parachutists. Why he resigned from the intelligence? Military officer fed up with the interrogations, which he was one and a half years? With the transfer was not a problem: the regimental commander, Colonel Ducasse old friend, Graziani on Indochina, was indebted to him for life. The soldiers immediately fell in love with a brave and merry shouts (Criquet), this call was still the captain of SAS. In October, Jean was shot in the chest by shrapnel grenades and sent to a hospital in Tizi Ouzo,. He left this place in English, thank a doctor leaving his friend and instructed to send flowers nurse.

Captain Jean Graziani.

January 6, 1959 during Operation Kabylia-16, Graziani was struck by machine gun. On the helicopter he was taken to a familiar hospital. Before leaving, Jean asked adzhyudana transmit clock "Breguet" and a gun to his friend the Plan. Jean Antoine Toussaint died Graziani on the following day. He was 32 years old. Exactly half of his life, 16 years old, he spent the war or captivity.

At the funeral of Captain were not only brothers in arms, his wife and daughter, and two generals: Massu and Allar. The colonel said the young man Romain eulogy: "The last bow captain Graziani. The hero in the truest sense of the word. Passionate, fiery, fierce, who can not calculate the benefits, not knowing the tricks and subterfuges, sometimes prone to extremes, but always direct, demanding to himself. He - the symbol of the youth, those young captains, which is a symbol of our army. " Posthumously captain was given the rank of Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Why I wrote all this? I do not know. I was interested in gathering together all the facts and evidence, scattered in different sources and try to get to the truth. I wanted to create a portrait of a man whose fate was fairly typical of the officers who fought in Algeria. Well, not counting all the crazy antics, of course. Few of these lieutenants, captains, majors, colonels, had at least how to live a peaceful life. In-general, the fate of one: the war against the Germans, then Indo-China, then Algeria. And no matter what was going to be a diplomat Ossares and Trinkey on first class - the school teacher. Life has broken their dreams, made them officers. France should be - and then you become a soldier. And someone did not even have time to learn properly. Graziani had fought 16 years, Garcia (hero of the story with shrimp) - 17. As with any position to judge people who are in the 30-odd years were veterans of three wars who do not know what a peaceful life?

PS I wrote the last name of Jamila in-French pronunciation. I think in Arabic, it Buhired, but then I'm not an expert, so I decided not to risk it.
The last phrase of the funeral oration in the original Captain Graziani sounds a little wrong, as I translated, namely: «Il est un symbole, le symbole de cette jeunesse qui a la foi, le symbole de ces jeunes capitaines qui sont le symbole de notre armée ". But if we translate it as it will be completely in Russian. If anyone has any suggestions, willing to consider them, and then I have with these translations have brains boil.